The contrast.......

Pragmatist vs. pugilist: Bush death highlights Trump’s isolation on world stage

At the G-20 summit, there’s pining for the predictability of the Bush years and the America he represented.

By ANDREW RESTUCCIA

The contrast couldn’t be more striking.

President George H.W. Bush was a war hero, an internationalist who played a consequential role in maintaining the post-war world order. In domestic politics, he is remembered as a pillar of the Republican establishment, a pragmatist who pined for a “kinder, gentler nation.”

President Donald J. Trump represents a starkly different strain of Republicanism, and a rejection of nearly all of Bush’s values. And as Trump played global statesman at the G-20 summit here against the backdrop of a former president’s passing, many world leaders clearly missed the predictability of the Bush years and the America he represented.

“I mourn George Bush...as the chancellor of the German Federal Republic but also as a German who, without the results of his politics, could hardly stand here,” Angela Merkel said during a press conference here, alluding to Bush’s efforts to bring an end to the Cold War and reunify Germany. “During George Bush’s presidency, we experienced the strength and reliability of German-American friendship, and we will never forget this experience.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May said Bush was “a true friend to the U.K,” adding that his “statesmanship, wisdom and friendship will be much missed.”

Bush’s death also reverberated at home, immediately harkening back to the awkwardness and tension that accompanied the death of Arizona Sen. John McCain, another Republican whose values and worldview put him at odds with Trump, leading to repeated clashes.

Though separated by decades, Trump openly mocked Bush’s presidency, once even singling out one of his signature programs for derision. “‘The thousand points of light,’ what the hell was that by the way? Thousand points of light, what did that mean, does anyone know? I know one thing, Make America Great Again we understand,” Trump declared during a July rally.

But Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pointedly lauded Bush’s volunteerism initiative Saturday, saying Bush’s “lifetime of public service has inspired a thousand points of light. His legacy will inspire many more.”

“President Bush was a dedicated and thoughtful leader who stuck by his convictions and values,” Trudeau said in a statement. “He did much to strengthen relations between our two countries, championing the North American Free Trade Agreement and initiatives like the fight against acid rain.“

Trump’s critics were quick to highlight the contrast between the two men.

“His yearning for a kinder and gentler nation seems more needed now than when he first called for it,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.

The disdain with which the Bush and Trump camps regard each other runs deep, exacerbated by a personal dimension. The current president has sharply criticized the 41st president’s sons, frequently mocking Jeb Bush during the 2016 GOP presidential primary as “low-energy Jeb.”

Trump has also privately expressed contempt for Republicans he views as associated with George W. Bush’s administration, including Kirstjen Nielsen, his embattled homeland security secretary who held several senior positions in the Bush administration.

As a result, Trump has a deeply strained relationship with the Bush family, some of whom privately expressed distaste for his in-your-face style.

"I don't like him," George H.W. Bush told historian Mark Updegrove for his 2017 book, The Last Republicans. "I don't know much about him, but I know he's a blowhard. And I'm not too excited about him being a leader."

The president notably didn’t attend Barbara Bush’s funeral earlier this year.

But the prospect of excluding the sitting president of the United States from a former president’s funeral always seemed unlikely, despite the simmering animosity. Indeed, the White House announced Saturday that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will attend Bush’s funeral in Washington, D.C.

The news of Bush’s death hit shortly before 2 a.m. local time in Argentina, prompting White House aides, many of whom were enjoying downtime at Trump’s swanky hotel here, the storied Palacio Duhau-Park Hyatt, to scramble to release the president’s statement.

Trump told reporters here that he spoke with both George W. Bush and his one-time rival, Jeb Bush, on Saturday to extend his condolences. The president ignored a shouted question from a reporter asking whether he regrets any of his past criticism of the Bushes.

Trump, who delights in holding court in front of reporters, canceled a scheduled Saturday afternoon press conference on the sidelines of the summit, asserting that such an event would be disrespectful after Bush’s death. Trump later said he hopes to reschedule the press conference after Bush’s funeral.

"I was very much looking forward to having a press conference just prior to leaving Argentina because we have had such great success in our dealing with various countries and their leaders at the G20....,” Trump wrote on Twitter, adding in a second tweet, “....However, out of respect for the Bush Family and former President George H.W. Bush we will wait until after the funeral to have a press conference.”

Trump — at least for now — refrained from airing his grievances with the Bush family. He mourned Bush’s death in the conventional manner of any other president reacting to the death of one of their predecessors, releasing a statement in which he praised the former president‘s "sound judgement, common sense, and unflappable leadership.”

Later Saturday, he heaped more praised on Bush. "He was a wonderful man,” he told reporters, adding, “He lived a full life and an exemplary life."